Collard & Rice Dumplings with Mamba 9 Sauce

Active Time: 45 mins

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Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Servings: 6

To the African Diaspora, Collards Mean Prosperity & Good Health

I am always taken aback when people use judgment-laden terms such as greasy, unhealthy, fatty or “eat with caution” when talking about traditional African American foods or our diet (relating to the cuisine that has evolved from enslaved Africans in pre-emancipation America). Phrases such as “slave food” absolutely make my skin crawl, because although many of the foods that are consumed by African Americans were sustenance for enslaved people, those foods were—and still are—a source of nutrition for all races throughout the entire world. When movies like Soul Food, based upon an African American family in Chicago, are seen by non-African Americans, many of them note how many dishes were deep-fried or looked as if they were drowning in gravy. Yet this movie is only a single small peek into the African American diet and the way food is truly consumed in its communities. African American cuisine is not monolithic, after all.

I remember dinner in my family growing up as a way to give thanks for a safe return home and a time to discuss our days with one another. I knew that no matter what, there would be something green on my plate. One of my all-time favorites was (and still is!) collard greens. My mother or Nana would prepare a big pot of them at the beginning of the week that we’d often eat in multiple meals. I loved mixing my rice and peas together with the collards on my fork, enjoying the different flavors that danced around on my tongue. It was a hearty forkful of goodness that still comforts me in my present life.

Some of those greens may have been accompanied with freshwater fish, or maybe no meat was provided at all because meat was a delicacy often devoured on Friday, often at a fish-fry fundraiser, or on Sunday, when religious services being held on plantations allowed for tending to slow-roasted meats. In fact, upon their arrival to what is known as North America, many Africans led vegetarian or vegan lifestyles. Before the rise of colonialism on the continent of Africa, the diet of West Africans consisted primarily of fruits, roots and vegetables that they grew seasonally. Meat was used sparingly, often as a complement in stews. It was not until the institution of chattel slavery that African descendants were forced to begin consuming meat to stay alive for many reasons. One of the main reasons for meat eating was that enslaved West Africans had to wait until their work was completed on plantations to tend to their own crops, so it took those fields longer to yield food. This meant that many enslaved people ate out of desperation to survive until their crops were productive, often relying on less desirable scraps of meat from plantation owners.

When we view the food pyramid for the African Heritage Diet (a way of eating based on the food traditions of people with African roots that promotes health outcomes associated with longevity and increased vitality), greens are at its base, a testament of the truth about how food should be consumed based upon our ancestral palates. Kale, spinach, cabbage, turnip, mustard and collard greens are abundant in nutrients and promote health. Consuming greens daily can help reduce the risk of high cholesterol and hypertension, due to their nutritional benefits, and they can be prepared in a multitude of ways, including eating them raw.

I always look forward to sharing my fond memories of eating greens as a way to introduce others to the versatility of the African American experience through food. Although we think of greens as a staple in our New Year’s dishes to bring forth prosperity, they are usually consumed with each meal to support and promote health daily. It is also encouraging to witness the return to the practice of vegetarianism in the African American community, because it brings a sense of connection back to the bounty of nature. The celebration of our foodways goes back to the root of the Earth that buoys us all in the power of greens.

Ingredients

Mamba 9 Sauce

• 2 cups pineapple juice
• 1 cup tomato puree
• ½ cup hot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot
• ½ cup diced onion
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon steak seasoning
• ½ teaspoon chili powder

Dumplings

• 12 large collard green leaves, large stems removed (about 1 pound)
• 3 tablespoons avocado, canola or grapeseed oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces ground lamb
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 cups cooled cooked short-grain rice
• ¼ cup sake or mirin
• 3 tablespoons furikake (see Note)
• 2 scallions, chopped

Directions

1. To prepare sauce: Combine pineapple juice, tomato puree, hot sauce, 1/2 cup onion, vinegar, 1 tablespoon garlic, paprika, steak seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or regular blender, in batches if necessary.
2. Meanwhile, prepare dumplings: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place a bowl of ice water near the stove. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add collards and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the leaves from the water and plunge into the ice water to cool. (Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water for Step 6.) Remove the leaves from the ice bath, squeezing out excess water. Lay the leaves flat on a baking sheet or clean work surface and set aside.
3. Combine oil, onion and garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add lamb; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until the meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat and return the mixture in the pan to medium heat. Stir in chili powder, salt and pepper, then add rice and sake (or mirin); cook, stirring, until combined and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F.
5. Place 1 collard leaf on a flat surface and add about 1/4 cup of the filling at the bottom toward the stem end. Fold the bottom section of the leaf over the filling and toward the middle; bring both sides in toward the middle and tightly roll it up. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
6. Arrange the dumplings, seam-side down, in a 9-by-13 inch baking dish. Pour 2 cups of collard-green cooking water around the dumplings. Bake until the dumplings are heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.
7. With a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings to a serving platter. Top with 3/4 cup sauce (reserve the remaining sauce for another use), furikake and scallions.

To make ahead

Refrigerate sauce for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Note

Furikake is a Japanese seasoning blend made up of a variety ingredients, including seaweed, salt, bonito flakes, sesame seeds and more.